Bike Capital of Greece - Mesolongi

Mesolongi (there are other spellings), must be the bike capital of Greece. The number and range of people riding bikes must rival any town in Netherlands, a place famed for people on bikes. 

Being flat helps.

Having some streets too narrow for cars is also a great incentive.

We didn't photograph actual cyclists in case they objected, but only a movie would have served to show how many people cycled past while we ate: particularly teenage girls (a group F tried  through many years of coaching sport, to encourage them to stay in sport, stay active, do real exercise, find sportswomen role models etc, and found its REALLY difficult.), adults of all appearances (including the dapper tweed jacketed salt & pepper gent cruising by with his 5-6 year old lad in a seat on the back), older folk, kids, very small kids learning, with their outriggers on, round the fountain in the central square, whole families coming out to eat together.

It was so cool.

It was so calm and quiet.

Early evening, full a couple of hours later.

How do you choose a good place to eat when you are the first to arrive? Look for the best dressed waiters of course....

The food must be good here.

We are back home as F types this (Sunday night and a day later than intended) but Mesolongi was worth it and will get another post. We also have lots of unused photos and a few anecdotes and observations to get out there.

We have visitors this week: Mr Bs sister who was treated for a scary cancer earlier this year. She has decided that she needs to try and make the most of opportunities, you never know what will get you. You probably don't need to be diagnosed with cancer for that to apply, but cancer can make the advice very real.  After that and before Christmas we have another week of holiday to take.  It was going to be Crete or the Peloponnese but who knows what we will allowed to do. We have made the most of this opportunity and have loads of places in the north we would like to explore in much more detail, on foot, in boats (boats would not be my choice, and I don't mind on foot if they take my backpack), or on bikes. We also liked Evia so much last winter that we might go back there and just lie on a beach with underfloor heating.

So I'll use this week to finish off my 'tale of two weeks' (tail of two weeks - there, said it) and keep my eye out for interesting incidents passing my balcony. I am re-established on my condo and the world can come to me again for a while.